How to measure toileting goals with privacy

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

A toileting data sheet records a few facts at set times: whether the student was dry at each check, whether they voided on the toilet, whether they asked or were taken, and which steps they did alone. Keep it on a coded sheet stored out of sight, recorded by one or two assigned adults, and graph the daily percentages.

Toileting data is some of the most sensitive information a school collects. It is also the data that most often goes missing, because staff feel awkward writing it down or the sheet lives on a clipboard by the classroom door. A good toileting data sheet answers the goal's question with as little detail as possible and stays private.

This guide walks through setting one up, step by step, and then follows one fictional student through four weeks of data. For goal wording, see the toileting goals in the library. The life skills IEP goals pillar shows how toileting fits with other self-care goals.

What you need before you start

The goal, with its measure. Toileting goals usually count dry checks, successful voids on the toilet, self-initiated trips or routine steps.
The schedule. Most programs start with trips every 30, 45 or 60 minutes, based on baseline data.
The adults. Name one primary and one backup staff member who handle toileting. Fewer people means more consistent prompts and fewer people seeing private information.
A private place to keep the sheet: a folder in a closed cabinet or a password-protected digital form. Student education records are covered by federal privacy law, so treat the sheet the way you treat any other record.^[2]

Step-by-step setup

Step 1: Decide which question the data answers

Pick the one or two questions the goal asks. Do not record everything.

Is the student staying dry between trips? Record dry or wet at each scheduled check.
Does the student void on the toilet when taken? Record void or no void at each sit.
Does the student ask? Record self-initiated or adult-initiated for each trip.
Can the student do the routine alone? Record steps independent on a task analysis.

Example: a goal that reads "the student will request the restroom on 4 of 5 trips" only needs the third column.

Step 2: Use codes, not descriptions

Codes protect privacy and save time. A standard set:

Code	Meaning
D	Dry at check
W	Wet or soiled at check
V	Voided on the toilet
N	Sat, no void
S	Student asked (self-initiated)
A	Adult took on schedule
R	Refused the trip

Write the code key on the back of the sheet, not the front. A visitor glancing at a column of letters learns nothing.

Step 3: Set the times and the sit length

Put the scheduled times down the left side and the dates across the top. If the student sits for a set time, write it once at the top (for example, "sit 3 minutes"), not in every cell. Example: 8:45, 9:30, 10:15, 11:00, 11:45, 12:30, 1:15, 2:00.

Step 4: Add a task analysis only if the goal needs it

If the goal targets routine steps, use a separate task analysis data sheet for one or two trips a day, not every trip. Steps usually include entering the stall, lowering clothing, sitting, wiping, flushing, redressing and handwashing. Score each as independent or prompted. The task analysis measurement guide explains scoring.

Example: score the steps on the 10:15 and 1:15 trips only. Two probes a day give a clean trend without turning every trip into a data session.

Step 5: Summarize daily, graph weekly

At the end of each day, compute the numbers the goal needs. If the goal is about dry checks, divide dry checks by total checks. Graph the daily percentage. Look at the graph every Friday.

Example: 6 dry checks out of 8 is 75% for that day. Five days of percentages make one week on the graph.

Send families the summary numbers, not the raw sheet, unless they ask. A note such as "Dry at 32 of 40 checks this week, 4 self-initiated trips" tells the story. Keep comments about accidents factual and brief.

Worked example: one student, four weeks

Mateo (fictional) is 7 and in a K-2 self-contained classroom. His goal: "Given a scheduled trip every 45 minutes, Mateo will be dry at 85% of checks and initiate at least 2 trips per day using a restroom picture card, over 2 consecutive weeks."

Baseline (3 days): Mateo was dry at 14 of 24 checks (58%). He initiated 0 trips. He voided on the toilet on 5 of 24 sits.

The team set a 45-minute schedule with 8 trips a day. The paraprofessional and the teacher are the only two adults who take him. They store the sheet in a folder in the teacher's desk.

Week	Dry checks	Dry %	Self-initiated trips (week total)	Voids on toilet
1	26 of 40	65%	1	14 of 40
2	30 of 40	75%	4	19 of 40
3	33 of 40	83%	8	23 of 40
4	35 of 40	88%	11	25 of 40

By week 4, Mateo met the dry criterion (88%, above 85%) and averaged just over 2 self-initiated trips per day. The team kept the schedule for 2 more weeks to confirm the trend, then lengthened it to 60 minutes. They wrote the next goal around wiping and redressing steps.

Two details made this data useful. Every check was recorded, even when nothing happened, so the denominator stayed honest. And the adults wrote S or A on every trip, which is how the team saw initiation rise before dryness did.

Common mistakes

Weak: Recording only accidents. "Wet at 10:20, wet at 1:40." Better: Record every scheduled check as D or W. Without the dry checks, there is no percentage and no trend.

Weak: A clipboard on the bathroom door with the student's name and "accidents" in the title. Better: A coded sheet in a closed folder, labeled with initials or a student number.

Weak: Five different adults taking the student, each prompting differently. Better: One primary and one backup adult, both trained on the same prompts and codes.

Weak: Changing the schedule and the prompt at the same time. Better: Change one thing, then collect at least a week of data before the next change.

Weak: Writing notes like "had a big accident, very upset, mom called." Better: "W at 11:45. Changed. Family notified per plan." Keep emotional detail out of the data record.

Templates and tools

Toileting goals: 25 templates, from requesting the restroom (template) to managing a multi-stall restroom alone (template).
Opportunity data sheet: use it for request goals, with each scheduled trip as one opportunity.
Task analysis data sheet: use it for routine steps on one or two probe trips a day.
Free IEP data sheets: the full set, printable.
The data sheet glossary entry and paraprofessional data collection for training the adults who record.

Once the goal is drafted, check it in the goal checker. For related routines, see handwashing goals and daily living skills goals. The community-based instruction data guide covers measuring restroom use on outings.

The IEP has to say how progress on the goal will be measured and reported.^[1] A coded sheet that one or two adults fill in at every check meets that need without exposing the student.

Frequently asked questions

Who should fill out a toileting data sheet?

Only the one or two adults assigned to help with toileting. Fewer adults means more consistent prompting and fewer people seeing private information. Train both on the same codes before the first day.

Can toileting data be shared with the whole team?

Share summary numbers with the IEP team and family, such as dry percentages and self-initiated trips. Keep raw sheets in a closed folder or protected digital file, since they are part of the student's education record.

How often should toileting progress be graphed?

Summarize each day and graph weekly. Review the graph every Friday. Change only one thing at a time, such as the schedule or the prompt, and collect at least a week of data before the next change.

Use it in IEP Atlas

Sources

34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
34 CFR Part 99: Family Educational Rights and Privacy, eCFR (National Archives)

Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.